


From The Ashes, Something Else This Way Comes

by barnaby317



Series: Phoenix Rising [2]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: AU, F/F, from the ashes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:54:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22027393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/barnaby317/pseuds/barnaby317
Summary: A continuation of From the Ashes, Something Good This Way Comes. You will need to read that before reading this.After many changes in Kara's life, a few more are coming.Mentions of past SuperCat and General Danvers ships.
Relationships: Alex Danvers & Kara Danvers, Alex Danvers/Lena Luthor, Kara Danvers/Sam Arias, Past Cat Grant/Kara Danvers, past Alex Danvers/Astra
Series: Phoenix Rising [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1584676
Comments: 1
Kudos: 27





	From The Ashes, Something Else This Way Comes

**Author's Note:**

> When I wrote the original From The Ashes, it was still season 1, before Alex coming out, before the Maggie debacle (sorry to those that actually liked Maggie) and before the season 3 eps 20-22 and Alura being alive. 
> 
> After a recent comment on the story, I re-read it because, as with most things (it was written in 2016 after all) I couldn't remember the story. It then got me thinking, what would have been if it was Mala that accompanied Kara to Argo and not Mon Dick. 
> 
> I skipped over some of the bigger parts of the show episodes S3E20-22, if you've seen the episodes then insert the battle scenes etc into the appropriate places, if you haven't seen the eps, it might not make too much sense to you.
> 
> By the way, I have pretty much, well entirely, ignored Mon Dick and his entire role in the show to this point and Maggie too. ANNNNND Red Daughter does not happen, the beauty of this being an AU.

The phone clicked after the third ring “hi, it’s Kara. I need your help.”

“ _What do you need, Sister?_ ”

Kara sighed “I know you didn’t want to get involved with my Superhero stuff, but I need another Kryptonian and Kal is busy.”

“ _I have an identity to protect Kara, that’s the only reason why. What about Aunt Astra_?”

“She’s offered, but she is powerless right now. She has been pushing herself since she and Alex broke up, she solar flared.”

There was a heavy sigh from the other end “ _fine, Peta and I will arrive first thing in the morning_.”

“Thank you Mala, I appreciate it.”

“ _You will owe me_.”

———————

“Alex?”

Alex turned around at the sound of her name being called and held her arms open wide as the almost seven year old girl sprinted toward her. “Squirt Zor-El, what’s happening kid?”

“Mommy says I get to stay with you while she and Aunt Kara go and be heroes.”

“Yup, just you and me for a few days kid.”

Mala joined them “I hope you don’t mind?”

Alex shook her head, “Kara already asked, she needs your help.”

“She hasn’t told me why?” Mala said as they began moving to the lower floor “by the way, I like this facility much better than the desert one.”

“Eh, it’s a lot cleaner, for sure.” Alex shrugged and pointed to an agent passing by “Nichols, can you take Peta here to get an ice cream?”

“Sure Mam.”

Alex waited for the pair to be out of range before explaining “we were alerted to a meteorite heading for Earth two days ago that contains a substance we think will help us defeat our latest big bad, a Kryptonian.”

Mala nodded “the World Killers, Kara has told me of them.”

“The substance is called Harun El.”

“I know that one, our father was working with it.”

“Yeah and we think this meteorite might be part of Krypton but it’s a very slim chance.” Alex watched as the spark of recognition appeared in Mala’s eyes. “Yup, that’s why she needs you.”

“And I guess she hasn’t heard from Cat either, so she will be extra emotional if this does turn out to be a part of our home.”

“Got it in one, my sister from another planet.”

Mala grabbed Alex’s arm as she went to keep moving “how are you doing?”

“I’m fine but you guys are a stubborn bunch.”

Mala smirked “unfortunately it runs in the Ze gene.”

“It was her decision to end things but now she is running around like the wounded party. She spends all of her time working out of the desert base, she hasn’t stepped foot in the city since.”

“My Aunt considers love to be her greatest weakness, she always has. Even on Krypton she refused to enter into any kind of relationship until it became necessary and then she only married Non for that very reason, she did not love him.”

Alex nodded “she said as much once. I get why she did it, it’s why I’m okay with it.” She looked over at Mala, “what about you, how are you coping with Bruce just up and disappearing?”

“We’re okay, Peta misses him but I know why he had to do it, he took it hard when Alfred died.”

“Same reason the Bat just disappeared too I’m guessing.”

“You are a smart one Alex.”

They moved into the main area quietly together, Kara perking up as they did. Mala noticed the strange brunette beside her sister and eyed her off, preparing to engage if needed. The Luthor girl had no right to be standing next to a member of the House of El after what her brother tried.

Kara noticed the almost murderous look her sister was sending Lena “Ms Jorden, good to see you again.”

“You too Supergirl” Mala played along “if you already have a brilliant scientist, why did you need me?”

Lena quirked an eyebrow “I had no idea you thought so highly of me Mali.”

“Forget it Luthor.”

“Woah” Alex interjected “Lena, would you mind heading up to the lab? I’ll help you in a bit.” She turned to Mala as Lena walked away “you two know each other?”

“A little blow up at Wayne Enterprises. She and I worked on a project or two when she interned. She claimed she wanted to intern away from Luthor Corp to prove her worth, she hasn’t proven anything to me that suggests she is anything but a Luthor.”

“But she has to me Mala” Kara spoke up “Lena is my friend.”

“A Luthor?” Kara nodded “does she know who you really are?”

“No but…”

“Then you do not truly trust her either or you would have told her.”

Alex grimaced “she has a point Kar.”

“Of course she does, perfect Mala always has a point.”

Mala cursed in Kryptonese “I am not going to fight you Sister but on this I will not concede. You cannot trust the Luthors.” She sighed heavily, suddenly aware she had not told Kara everything “there is a reason I was experimenting with the Kryptonite. Bruce got word that the Luthors had some in their possession, I began fearing for my life. I had encountered some in the time before joining Bruce and knew the effects it could have.”

“She is helping us here” Alex soothed “could you at least try and be civil?”

“How are you going to explain me going with you to the asteroid?”

“Uh…” Alex stammered.

“We hadn’t considered that.”

———————

“Luthor” Mala greeted as she walked into the lab “there is a reason I don’t like you.”

“You have not made it a secret Mali.”

Mala took a deep breath “my name is not Mali, it is Mala Zor-El. I am Supergirls older sister.”

“So, you hate me because you’re Kryptonian and I am a Luthor?”

“Mostly. Do you remember that time we were working on that plasma weapon for the Bat? You suggested using Kryptonite.”

“And you tore me a new one for even suggesting it, I remember.”

“Now you understand why.”

“And while we’re at it” Supergirl entered the lab “Lena, I haven’t been entirely honest with you.”

“I know Kara, a ponytail and glasses aren’t much of a disguise. Yes, I am hurt that you didn’t tell me but no I won’t let it come between us right now, Sam is more important.”

“Right” Kara nodded “J’onn has his ship waiting for us Mala.”

“Mali?” Lena asked hesitantly “had I known, I wouldn’t have suggested the Kryptonite. I am not my brother.”

“Perhaps. We will talk more when I return.”

———————

“I’m glad you came, up here I can be myself.”

“I had forgotten how beautiful space is.” Mala smiled “when with Aunt Astra as we travelled, I would stare out of the view port for hours.”

“Did you like travelling with her.”

“Absolutely, I always loved being with Astra.”

Kara smiled, “I wish we’d had more time together, you and I.”

“I am very sorry Kara. I promised the day mother and father brought you home I would be the best big sister ever, I failed and for that I am truly sorry.”

“There” Kara pointed out of the windshield as the alarms began alerting them of the rock in their sights. She squinted to look harder “what is that?”

Before Mala could reply the ship was gripped in a tractor beam “they detected the ship.”

“What if we weren’t a ship?” Mala stared at her sister, confused “this ship can be anything.” Kara flipped a switch disguising them as an asteroid. “Did it work?”

“We’re not being pulled in anymore, we’re travelling on our own steam.”

Shortly they were passing through the shields and landing in a forested area. Kara started leading them toward the settlement they could see from space. They had only gone a short distance when they began taking laser fire. “Run” Kara exclaimed. A few minutes later they came to the edge of the settlement “I think we lost them.”

Mala looked around them, at the people staring “but I think we’re drawing attention to ourselves.”

Kara tried covering herself in her suit and looked to Mala who was wearing a borrowed black suit of Alex’s “we stand out too much.”

Mala nodded her agreement and grabbed a set of robes from a market stall “here, put this on.” The robes worked to a degree as they were left to wander through the township freely, without too much more fuss. Unaware that they were being tracked. They came to a stop at what seemed to be a memorial, Mala made her way to the doors of the monument “this has to be it.” She noticed Kara had stopped “Kara?”

Kara began reading from the walls, translating into English “*in honour of the souls lost in destruction, may their flames burn forever in Raos light*, it’s a Kryptonian memorial.” Kara looked at her sister “we’re on Krypton.” She looked around better “no, Argo.”

“I figured, come on.” She looked up at the buzzing of the Kalex droids.

“Don’t move, identify yourselves. Stay where you are, do not move.”

“Stand down Caretakers.”

Kara and Mala both froze at the voice, both too shocked to move. Once the droids cleared away and the woman who spoke saw the intruders, she also froze.

“Mom?”

“Kara, is that you?” Then Alura looked behind Kara “Mala?”

“Hello Mother.”

Alura embraced Kara but was weary of her eldest daughter “how, how are you both here? Mala, you were on Fort Rozz, and Kara, I saw your pod get knocked into the Phantom Zone.”

“If I’d known you were alive, I wouldn’t have stopped searching for you.” Kara exclaimed as she embraced her mother harder.

“Come, both of you, we have a lot to discuss.”

Following Alura, they joined her at the home both girls once knew. Mala hesitated at the threshold, unsure if she would be welcome. “Maybe I should wait here.”

“Don’t be silly Mal.” Kara took her hand and pulled her into the house but could feel the tension in her sister “what’s wrong?”

Mala raised her hand to Kara’s cheek “I am a disgrace remember, I cannot step into a noble home of El, I am as good as the Rank-less.”

Alura looked pained but nodded “Kara, leave her be. She will come in when she’s ready.”

Kara huffed “then you don’t know her, she won’t come inside. She’s a stubborn thing.”

Alura actually smirked “a true daughter of Ze.” Alura reached out a hand to her eldest “Krypton abandoned the Rank-less protocol in the time of your grandfather, Argo certainly does not practice that any longer.” Mala hesitated for mere seconds before taking her mothers hand and following into the home.

———————

After meeting with the council and securing the piece of Harun El and delivering it to Lena, the sisters sat back to relax in Kara’s loft, Alex and Peta joining them shortly after. “I’m going back” Kara said out of nowhere.

“To Argo?” Alex asked as she took another swig of her beer.

“I need to Alex, my mother is alive. How can I let that opportunity slip by?”

“Hey” Alex held up her hands “I’m not saying you shouldn’t, I’m just surprised.”

“We’ll miss you.” Mala said quietly.

“You won’t come?”

“No. I have to be here with Peta.”

“Are you afraid Mom didn’t want you there?”

Mala shook her head “no but I still feel as though I don’t belong. The disgraced first daughter of Zor-El.”

“I see” Kara dropped her head in disappointment.

“You clearly don’t, from the moment you came home as a newborn you were the favoured daughter, don’t try to tell me otherwise. I tried my hardest to get attention without acting like a jealous spoiled little brat and the only person that gave me the attention I craved was Astra.” Mala wiped a tear from her eyes “when the note came to join Astra’s little band of merry men, I jumped at the chance, thinking I’d finally be free of the attention you got. I tried not to be jealous of you Kara, but it was hard.”

“Suddenly being a big sister will do that.” Kara shot Alex a look for daring to add that. “Just saying I know how it feels.”

“I made choices Kara, bad choices and I am certain not a single soul on that rock has forgotten, especially mother.” She whispered something in Kryptonese that only Kara heard.

“Fine, I’ll go back by myself.”

Alex stood and slipped in behind Kara to give her a hug “are you going to tell Cat?”

Kara shook her head “she has made her choice, and I won’t be gone forever.”

Mala sighed “I should hope not, I just got you back little sister, I am not losing you too.”

“You haven’t lost Mom either.”

“You can’t know that Kara.”

“I’ll prove it.”

———————

After some teary goodbyes Kara was off.

Alex turned to Mala “hey, now that you are here. Wanna stay?”

Mala rose an eyebrow, “what are you asking Alex?”

“I’m always looking for keen minds and having a resident Kryptonian brain might be nice, your sister and Aunt are hopeless on some topics.”

“My sister and Aunt were not keen on science. Kara was always more of an artist and Astra is a soldier, through and through. I accept your offer, it would be nice to be near Kara when she returns.”

“Good.” Alex gestured to her right “you know where the labs are, you can help yourself. We don’t currently have anything that would suit your background in bioengineering, also my specialty by the way.”

“That’s fine.” Mala nodded “I’ll need time to pack up in Gotham and move anyway.”

Alex was interrupted by her phone ringing, “excuse me. Danvers.”

———————  
Days Later  
———————

“Transmat portal open.” As Winn said that the power went out and the portal deactivated.

“Danvers, we have a problem” someone yelled out.

“Where is Mala, anyone know?”

One agent nodded his head “she’s on her way back now, should be landing at the airport any minute.”

“Good, get her here as soon as you can.”

——— Meanwhile ———

“Winn?”

“ _I’m trying Kara, really_.”

“Get it open, I need to be there.”

“ _Almost got it…_ ” he was cut off.

“Winn? Winn?”

Alura rested her hand on her daughters shoulder “calm down and think, what can you do?”

Kara’s eyes went wide “maybe I can use the hologram as a camera?” She pushed a couple of controls “got it, now” she paused as she saw Rita pass by the feed “they are at the D.E.O. No.”

——— Meanwhile ———

“Alex?” Mala cried as she saw Alex fly across the room, she spotted the dark Kryptonian witch a second later “you.”

“What a surprise, First Daughter of the House of El, it will be a pleasure to watch you die.”

“Nope, no dying today” Mala sprinted out of the med lab, hoping to draw the Kryptonian away. Instead she came across the hologram of her mother “mother?”

“ _Mal, it’s Kara, I need you to push the controls for the portal, here_.” She pointed to the stand, “ _I need to get back there but I am stranded on Argo_.”

“Tell me what ones to push.”

“ _The top ones_.” Kara pointed them out “ _push them together, at the same time_.”

“Got it.”

“ _See you soon_.”

As Kara said that the dark Kryptonian, Rita, was coming back into the room ready to hit Mala as Kara and Alura stepped through the portal. Kara flicked her head to the side as Alura let a punch fly that sent the woman careening into the nearest bulkhead.

“Nice one Mom.” Kara said.

“Welcome to Earth” Mala exclaimed as she ran from the room, the other two following close behind “we have bigger things to worry about, there are three of them here and your friend Sam just left with two of them.” She slid to a stop at the edge of the med bay and went directly to Alex “I’ve got her, you go and check out everything else.”

“Go Kara, I will help your sister.” Alura grabbed hold of the other side of the young woman in Mala’s arms and helped lift her onto one of the still standing med tables. “Someone you know?”

“Kara’s adopted, very human sister.”

“Oh” Alura let slip as she watched her eldest daughter get the other woman settled “this is the Alex she spoke of.”

“She looks up to her, always has from what she tells me.”

Alura scoffed “that’s Kara, always looking up to her big sister, Kryptonian or Human.”

“Unh” Alex groaned “Mal, why there’s two of yous?”

“Alex” Mala spoke softly “you have a concussion my friend, being thrown around by a Kryptonian will get you that.”

“Still not knows why there’s twos of yous.”

“Alex Danvers meet Alura Zor-El, my mother.”

“Hey, you cames, Astar will be happy.”

Mala giggled “you are delirious my friend, rest. You’ll make more sense later.”

“A star?”

“She means Aunt Astra, did Kara not tell you she is alive?”

Alura shook her head, “no, she did not.”

“Um, big oversight little sister. Astra is alive, also I don’t think I mentioned it, you’re a grandmother too.”

“Kara spoke of a child.”

“Her name is Peta, you’ll hopefully get to meet her soon.”

“And hopefully, you and I can have a nice long conversation while I am here, since you didn’t escort your sister this time.”

“Perhaps.”

———————  
Well after the battle…  
no Red Daughter clone.  
———————

“Mala, can we have that discussion now?” Alura questioned as she walked into the lab where Mala sat.

“Sure” she continued to look through the microscope she was using, not wanting to look at the older woman.

“I have spent so many years believing my daughters were lost to me but now, here one of you sit and yet you think me a monster.”

Mala turned her face to the older woman finally “you are not a monster Mother, never. You did what you had to do.”

“Then why are you denying me a chance to repair the damage between us, why won’t you let me get to know you?”

“I can’t stop seeing the disappointment in your eyes every time you see me.”

“Oh, my sweet, darling daughter. It is in the past.”

“I am still a criminal Mother.”

Alura shook her head “have you committed crimes on Earth?”

“No…”

“Then you are not a criminal.” The older woman reached out “I forgive you and I think it is time you forgive yourself. Stop shutting me out Mala.” Mala let out a sob and Alura pulled her to her in a fierce hug. “I think that the reason you are so hesitant with me, is because you have so much guilt hiding inside. Let it go Mal, let it go.”

“I could not have said it better myself” came a new voice from the doorway.

“Astra?”

Astra nodded “Alura.”

Mala let go from the hug as Alura stood up and came to a stop, toe to toe with her twin “hello Sister.”

“Will you forgive me also or am I still a criminal in your eyes.”

Alura sighed “you are both forgiven because we were fools to not listen to you. You all tried to tell us the planet was dying but we refused to listen, now our home is gone and all that remains is a small chunk of rock.”

“You _were_ fools, one of the greatest scientific minds of any generation could see it and tried to tell the council but you dismissed her claims as trivial.”

“And now, dear Sister, I am paying the price as my own daughter thinks I see her as nothing more than a disgraceful criminal.” Alura looked back to Mala, the younger woman’s head bowed in disgrace “when it couldn’t be further from the truth. This is Rao’s way of punishing me for choosing my career over my family.”

“But now you see the light Sister, that is what matters.”

“It is.” Alura agreed and sat back down in front of Mala “I would very much like to meet my granddaughter now.”

Mala wiped at her tears and nodded, “I’ll be right back.”

Astra watched her niece go and turned back to face her sister “she has not had an easy time here on Earth.”

“But she and Kara were together?”

“No. They found each other two years ago. Kara sought answers to her nightmares and found her sister along the way.”

“And you by the sight of it.”

“I came into Kara’s life again in a different way. It was not a pleasant reunion.”

“Still living your dream of Myriad then?”

“Indeed, but I came to my senses, Non was not so fortunate.”

Alura smiled for the first time since entering the lab “he never was fortunate.”

“Sadly, I found love but it was not meant to be.”

“Oh?”

Astra smiled sadly at something just out of view, from her post near the door “Alexandra, was more than I deserved. I could no longer hold her back from what she desired.”

“Kara’s sister, Alexandra?”

“ _Adopted_ ” Astra stressed “adopted sister.”

Their conversation was interrupted further by the sound of a child singing along happily to a tune only she could hear. As the little girl, brunette hair flowing freely down her back, stopped in the doorway, Alura smiled sweetly. Mala stopped beside her Aunt in the doorway “mother, meet Peta Zor-El. Peta, baby, meet your grandmother, Alura.”

“You look just like Aunt Astra.”

Alura laughed “that’s because we’re twins.”

“Oh, Janie at my school in Gotham has a twin sister.”

Mala smiled from beside Astra “you know, I think this might actually work out.”

“Just try, she is your mother after all.”

“I know.”

——— Meanwhile ———  
Elsewhere in the D.E.O  
——— Meanwhile ———

Alex and Lena sat at a lab table after clearing Sam to leave the med lab.

“You know I meant it earlier.” Lena sipped at her well earned coffee.

“What?”

“You’ll make an excellent mother.”

“You offering?” Alex smirked.

Astra watched avidly as Alex stirred her coffee in contemplation after her little flirtation. Eventually Alex continued “there was a time I thought it was possible, I had someone I loved and wanted to have a family with but it was taken from me.”

“Oh Alex, I’m sorry.”

“It’s done, she has moved on.”

Lena leaned forward on her elbows “she was someone very special.”

“She was, but ultimately she sacrificed our happiness for her work.”

“That may be so but something tells me you haven’t moved on.”

“I want to, so badly Lena.”

Astra watched the small interaction from beside the lab door and whispered, “then do it.”

Lena echoed the sentiment “then do it.” She patted Alex’s hand “you cannot waste your life pining after what could have been, you need to move on for your sake.”

“Again Luthor, you offering?”

“Maybe.”

——— Meanwhile ———  
Elsewhere in the D.E.O  
——— Meanwhile ———

Sam stopped in front of Kara as Ruby ran off to say goodbye to Winn. “I’m going to miss you.”

“We had some good times, admittedly there were some bad times, but yeah.” Kara hugged her “I’ll miss you too.”

“You know that one night doesn’t have to be it, right.”

“Come on Sam, would it work?”

“Why can’t it? Reign is gone, I’m just plain ol’ human Sam now.”

Kara grimaced “I’m technically still involved with Cat.”

“Who is nowhere to be found, nor given any indication to you that she’s coming back, that whole point is what had you in my bed in the first place Kara.”

“Alright, keep in touch, we’ll see where things go.”

Sam smiled “I’ll hold you to that too.”

——— ——— ———  
End  
——— ——— ———


End file.
